Walter buz att



W. BUZATT.

MACHINE FOR SECURING METALLIC CAPS T0 BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. um.

1,319,845. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER BUZATT, OF BLUE ASH, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE LIPPIN'COTT CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

COMPANY, OF

MACHINE FOR SECURING METALLIC CAPS TO BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER BUZATT, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Blue Ash, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Securing Metallic Caps to Bottles, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

My invention relates to a machine for securing caps to bottles, jars and the like, and particularly to a rotatable cap chucking device adapted to embrace and frictionally grip a screw cap to thread the cap upon' the jar, or apply a final sealing pressure to the cap when previously applied to the jar.

One'of the objects of the invention is to provide a device'constantly rotating, and arranged to receive a screw cap while in rotation for applying the cap to the jar or forapplying a final sealing pressure to the cap and releasing to any excessive pressure to avoid the breaking of the jars or injury to the caps.

Another object of the invention is to pro-. vide a pair of oppositely disposed, rotatable jaws arranged to expand apart for conveniently and quickly receiving a jar screw cap which has been previously inserted on the jar, the jaws embracing the circumferential edge of the cap and frictionally binding therewith to apply a final sealing pressure to the cap.

Another object of the invention relates to means for supporting the jar in an upright position and for moving'the jar upwardly and inserting its cap into engagement with cap securing devices, and to certain deta ls of construction, all more fully revealed in the following description of the drawings accompanied herewith, and in the said drawings like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, of which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a machlne embodying my invention. a

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section of the rotatable screw cap receiving chuck which embraces the cap' and frictionally connects therewith for securing the cap to the bottle or applying a final sealing pressure to the cap.

Fig. 3 is a section on l1ne, 33 F1g. 2. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view ofa cap receiving chuck;

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 which illustrates a complete machine organizatlon, an embodiment of frame and transmission devices are included as ofgeneral character and design common in machine'tools, and provide a means for supportlng'and rotating the devices for se' curing a screw cap to a bottle or like container. These parts therefore may represent any design or type of construction adaptable for use in connection with the invention herein disclosed.

1 indicates a column'having' a base plate extension 2, and a top horizontal bracket extension 3 for receiving a motor 1.

The motor is provided with a pulley which carries a belt 5, connecting and engaged over a pulley 6, journaled upon a bracket 7, extending from the column.

Fixed to the pulley 6, or upon a shaft connecting with the pulley is a second pulley S, carrying a belt 9, which connects and engages over a pulley 10, at the base of the column. The pulley 10 connects with a shaft not shown, journaled in the bearing 11, fixed to and extendedverticallyfrom the base 2.

The shaft connecting with the pulley 10, has a second pulley l2, fixed thereto, carrying a belt 13, which extends upwardly having its forward and return runs passing over a pair of idlers, one idler 14, only being shown, to connect with a pulley 15, journaled upon a vertical Shaft, 16, secured within hub or boss formed upon the bracket extension 8, of the column 1. The idlers being solely for the purpose of divert ing the belt runs from the vertical to a horizontal line. mission elements may be of an arrangement to bring the motor and pulley 15, in a more direct connection.

The devices for securing the screw caps to bottles may be referred to as a chuck as it receives and clamps the cap. It comprises a disk plate 16, dependently suspended from the lower side of the pulley 15, by means of three coupling rods 17, secured to the plate 16, and the pulley 15, respectively.

A pair of oppositely disposed guide plates, 1818, are fixed upon the lower face of the plate 16, and suitably spaced apart for receiving and supporting a pair of oppositely disposed jaws, 19 19," and for sl1d- It is obvious that the transably mounting the same upon the plate.

Said jaws each are formed with a semi-circular jaw portion 20, providing a clamping annulus between which .the screw cap 5 of a jar is inserted. These jaws each are flared outwardly at their receiving end terminating with an annular roughened portion 22, which is adapted to grip or frictionally engage with the circumferential Each one of the jaws has a pin, 23, projecting at right angles therefrom, and in this case vertically, each through an oblong slot 2%, in the plate 16. These pins are connected by a spring 25, which yieldingly urges the two jaws toward each other and enabling the same to expand apart as a cap is inserted between the jaws, and hold the jaws embracingly around the circumferential edge of the cap under suflicient pressure required for threading and tightening the cap upon the bottle or jar, releasable under any excessive pressure after the cap has been properly tightened upon the jar so as to avoid injury to the cap or jar.

This is very essential when applying screw caps, because if undue or excessive pressure were permitted to be applied to the cap effecting a continued threading influence of the cap with its screw jar top or neck would result in breakage or injury to either the cap or jaw. With the device yielding to excessive pressure no care is required on the part of the operator as no undue tightening pressure can be maintained.

The jar with its cap loosely placed thereon can be manually held and moved to bring its cap into engagement between the jaws for applying the final sealing pressure to screw the cap tight upon the mouth of the jar. Such method to many operators would be quite laborious, and also permit them. in a rapid handling to jam the cap into the chuck breaking the jars which is dangerous to the operator and the use of the machine in such manner would be prohibited in many localities. In providing a support upon which the jar can be placed and moved into engagement with the chuck a central and 50 alined position of the jar with respect to the chuck jaws which is insured which offers to expedite the operation produces uniform and etficient results upon which reliability as to the proper sealing of the jar can be 55 placed.

The jar is placed upon the holder plate,

26. which normally is in a depressed position below the chuck or cap securing device.

This plate has its upper face cupped to pro- 60 vide a pocket for the jars of advantage in readily placing the jars central or in an alined position with the chuck jaw and is mounted upon one end of a plunger 27 The plunger 27' is slidably mounted within a 65 sleeve bracket 28, projecting from the coledge of the screw cap to be operated upon.

umn 1. A screw 29 is engaged through the sleeve 28, and projects into a spline 30, formed longitudinally in the plunger 27, and is provided to prevent rotation of the plunger.

At the lower end of the plunger an annular groove 31 is provided, said groove receiving the end of a crank arm 32 for raising and lowering the plunger.

The crank arm 32 is journaled upon a rod 33. 3 1 represents a second arm connecting with the crank arm 32, and engaging into the yoke end of the arm 34, upon the rod shaft 35,journaled in said column. At the opposite end of the rod shaft-35, I provide 8 a treadle lever 36 for actuating the rod shaft, and parts connected therewith to raise the plunger 27. A spring 37, fixed to the column 1, and crank arm 34, provides the proper tension for returning the parts to their normal position as released by the treadle.

This bottle or jar supporting means enables the operator to quickly and conveniently present the bottle and its screw cap in an alined position with the jaws of the chucking device so as to be readily inserted between said jaws for applying the final sealing pressure to the screw cap and is preferably limited in its upward motion to prevent the cap and its jar from being unduly pressed between the jaw support and the plate 16, to avoid breakage. The jar support is non-rotatable, and thus is stationary at all times, rendering it more convenent to the operator for inserting or removmg the jars and centering them with the cap securing devices. The jars are capped after being filled and are placed in an upright position upon non-rotatable supports, so that there is no occasion for spilling any of the contents.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a vertically movable non-rotatable bottle support mounted upon said frame, means for elevating said support, a rotatable bottle cap gripping chuck journaled upon said frame above said bottle support, comprising a jaw supporting plate, a pair of opposing semi-circular jaws slidably mounted in gulde-ways on one face of said plate, forengaging a jar cap therebetween, and a spring connecting with said jaws for yieldingly forcing said jaws toward each other.

2. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a vertically movable non-rotatable bottle supporting table mounted upon said frame, said table being recessed to receive and sustain a capped jar in an upright position, means for elevating said table, a rotatable jar cap gripping chuck j ournaled upon said frame above the table, comprising a jaw supporting base member, a pair of semicircular oppositely disposed jaws movable 0 radially upon said member, each jaw hav- In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe ing a flaring cap receiving surface terminatmy name, as attested by the two subscribing 10 ing with a roughening surface for embracwitnesses. ing and frictionally engaging with the jar cap when the cap is moved into engagement WALTER Z therewith between the jaws, and means for Witnesses: yieldingly urging the jaws toward each M. SMITH,

other. L.- A. BECK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

